Apparatus for extinguishing fires



(No Model.)

0 KILBURN APPARATUS FOR EXTINGUISHING FIR-ES. No. 403,759; Patented May21 1889.

Mwl h HM I n c ntor/ Wilt); ass a s,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHENEY KILBURN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS FOR EXTINGUISHING FIRES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 403,759, dated May 21,1889.

Application filed May 20, 1885. Serial No. 166,163. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHENEY KILBURN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inApparatus for Extinguishing Fire, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

The object of this invention is to so construct and combineinstrumentalities for the putting out of fire by the use of steam thatthe control of the entire apparatus may be under the supervision andoperation of one person while stationed in the boiler-room or theengine-room, as will be hereinafter fully explained.

The figure shows a front view of my apparatus, the apartments being insection.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in the figure.

A A represent the boilers, of which there may be any desired number, andB is the main steam-pipe, arranged, by preference, above the boilers andconnected therewith by a series of comparatively short steam-pipes, a a,each of these connecting-pipes having a stop-cock b.

O O are a series of discharge-pipes leading from the main steam-pipe Bto the different compartments into which it is desired to dischargesteam.

In the drawing I have shown six compartments, D D, there being an equalnumber of discharge-pipes 0. Each discharge-pipe is provided with astop-cock, 0, arranged within convenient reach of the fireman, engineer,or other person who may be in ch. rge of the apparatus, and while suchperson remains inside of the boiler-room or engine-room E. Each of thesedischarge-pipes O is marked or numbered to correspond with the letter ornumber designating the room in which such pipe terminates; and bypreference I use numbers to designate the rooms and the correspondingdischarge-pipes.

In the drawing the rooms and their respective discharge-pipes arenumbered from 1 to 6, inclusive. The diameters of these discharge-pipesshould be proportioned to, first, the sizes of the rooms, and, secondly,the length of pipe required in each instance,

the diameter of the pipe inoreasin g with the size of the room and itsdistance from the boiler or main steam-pipe B; but for a room, say,twenty feet by sixty feet, with a discharge-pipe of one hundred feet inlength and a working pressure of steam at from sixty to eighty pounds tothey square inch, a discharge-pipe of three inches in diameter will befound sufficient under ordinary circumstances. In fact, I have foundthat, in practice a pipe of this diameter will operate satisfactorilyfor even much larger rooms, although the diameters of the steam-pipesmay be somewhat varied, according to whether or-not the room is to beoccupied by very combustible materialor otherwise. The discharging endsof the pipes should be left entirely open, with as few elbows or otherbends as possible between the stop-cocks and their open ends, so as tooffer the least possible resistance to the passage of the steam.

F is a donkey-engine or other feeder, adapted to supply the boilers withwater.

G is a fan or other kind of blower, belted to a shaft, H, driven by anengine which is supplied with steam from the boilers.

It will be understood that when the boilers are in ordinary use-that is,generating steam for motive or heating purposes-it will not be necessaryto operate the fan G, and that it is only when great quantities of steamare being discharged-as when one or more of the pipes O are openedthatthe fan need be started and thereby the fires in the furnaces increasedin order to maintain the required steam-pressure in the boilers. Thesteam from one of the boilers may be employed for fire-extinguishingpurposes, or from several of the boilers simultaneously, or from oneboiler after another in succession, as the pressure in the boilersupplying the steam becomes reduced; such being permitted by a propermanipulation of stop-cocks b and 0.

Owing to the great quantities of steam employed by reason of the pipes 0being comparatively large and perfectly open-ended, it is necessary thatthe stop-cocks which control the delivery of steam should be within easycontrol of the engineer or fireman while in the boiler-room, in orderthat he may shut the steam off from other connections and direct it insufficient quantities through the pipes C,

It would be impracticable to have the stopcock which regulates thepassage of steam through one of the pipes U situated within the roominto which said pipe opened, owing to the danger from scalding orsuffocation by the steam which would attend the person operating saidcock.

By employing the main steampipe B, connecting or communicating with thediiferent boilers, I am better enabled to regulate the supply of steamused in extinguishing a fire in the manner set forth than if theseparate 'pipes O communicated directly with the boiler, as thereby thesteam from two or more boilers maybe directed (either simultaneously orin succession) through a single pipe, 0, into a single apartment.

In each room there is a signaling apparatus communicating with theengine-room or fireroom, in order thatin case the room or the materialwithin it should be discovered on fire information of the fact can bepromptly conveyed to the fireman,engineer, or whoever may be in chargeof the room in which the stop-cocks c c are located. In this instance Ihave shown a series of speaking-tubes, K K, provided with the ordinarywhistles, 7a 75, extending from each of the six rooms to theboiler-room; but it is evident that electric be1ls,a system of wires,bells, and pulls, might be used in placeof the speaking-tubes. So, also,I have shown a speaking-tubeconnecting the office L with theboiler-room, so that the fireman or engineer may be notified from theoffice of the existence of a fire in any room of the building, if fromany circumstances such information can be more conveniently sent fromtheoffice. 4

I have found by experience that with a comparatively free use of steam afire in an inclosed room can be speedily checked, and, in fact, promptlyextinguished, and also that by the use of a blower and donkeyfeedingengine a satisfactory pressure of steam can be maintained in theboiler even when steam is being discharged through one or more of thethree-inch pipes C.

I do not wish to be limited to the use of my invention in connectionwith a series of roomsall located within the same building, because Ihave connected a number of buildings to one and the same set of boilers.

Of course a steam-drum or its equivalent might be used in place of themain steampipe B, although the steam-pipe has some advantages because ofthe facility with which the discharge-pipes C O can be attached to it.

WVhenever the word attendant is used herein it is employed to designatethe engineer, fireman, or other person who, when the parts are arrangedas herein described and shown, is always in attendance in immediateproximity to the boilers and their attachments. So, also, when the wordsboiler-room are used I mean the room or building in which the boiler orboilers, and by preference the stop-cocks in the discharge-pipes, arelocated.

lVhile I have shown a main steam-pipe arranged between the boilers andthe dischargepipes, it is evident that this might be omitted and thedischarge-pipes connected directly to the boiler or boilers; although inpractice I prefer to interpose either a main pipe or a drum between theboiler or boilers and the discharge-pipes, particularly when two or moreboilers are used or when the invention is being applied to steam-boilersalready set in position, and especially when a number of discharge-pipesare to be employed, on account of the greater convenience in making thenec essary steam-connections.

While in practice I prefer to locate all the steam-cocks in the sameroom with the boilers, yet it is obvious that where such an arrangementis inconvenient or impracticable they may be located in an adjoiningroom, or. even outside the building in which the boilers are located,without departing from the spirit of my invention, so long as they areso placed as to facilitate their being opened and closed by someoneperson in contradistinction from having them scattered about thepremises at such points as would render it inconvenient for the firemanto operate them upon very short notice and without going far from theplace which he would naturally occupy while attending to his duty ofkeeping up steam, one object of this invention being to so construct andarm nge the appliances that a large volume of steam can be quicklydischarged into any room where it may be needed by the action of oneman, and that man a person who can be readily familiarized with theentire system and the location of all the stopcocks, and who cantherefore be held re sponsible forthe prompt and efficient performanceof his duty, instead of dividing up the responsibility among a largenumber of employs, in which latter case it would be very diflicult, andin fact impossible,to secure any such certainty of action as isnecessary for the prompt putting out of a fire.

While I have shown and described this invention as applied to inclosedrooms within buildings, it is evident that it can be advantageously usedin ships.

I am aware that it is old to combine a fireextinguishing appa'atus of anature somewhat similar to mine with buildings, ships, the, and hence Ido not claim, broadly, the

combination of a series of apartments, separate discharge-pipes leadinginto such apartments, a common generator which suppliesafire-extinguishing vapor to the several discharge-pipes, and valveswhich regulate the passage of such vapor through the dischargepipes; butI believe I am the first to have arranged the several parts of myapparatus in the manner shownthat is, so grouped together under thecontrol and in immediate proximity to the engineer or fireman havingcharge of the steam-generating boiler that he can without delay orchange of position shut off the steam from the engine, and direct it inany desired quantity to any point Where it may be necessary, and at thesame time properly regulate the fires and the amount of water in theboiler so as to maintain the maximum steam-pressure.

Vhat I claim is 1. The combination of the following elements,substantially as set forth, namely: a series of several boilers adaptedto supply steam for operating an engine, the steam-pipe B, the separatepipes to a, the separate valves 1) b, whereby the steam may be takenthrough the said pipes at separately or through them all together, theseries of pipes 0, all communicating with the said pipe B, and eachcommunicating separately with a compartment, D, and the separate valves0 for the said pipes C, respectively, the said valves 1) and 0 .beingarranged in proximity to the boilers, substantially as set forth.

2. As a means for extinguishing fires, the

, combination, with a series of apartments, of

two or more boilers, a main steam-pipe communicating with each of saidboilers, stopcocks between each boiler and the main steampipe, a seriesof discharge-pipes connecting with the main steam-pipe and opening intosaid apartments, and a series of stop-cocks, one for eachdischarge-pipe,arranged Within convenient access of the attendant,substantially as and fOlflthe purposes set forth.

3. As a means for extinguishing fires, the combination, With a series ofapartments, of a boiler, a series of discharge-pipes communicatingwiththe boiler and opening into said apartments, a series of stop-cocksadapted to close said pipes, they being situated Within convenient reachof the attendant, and a blowing mechanism, also within convenient reachof the attendant, and arranged and operatin g substantially as and forthe purposes set forth.

4. As a means for extinguishing fires, the combination, with a series ofapartments, of a boiler, a series of discharge-pipes communicating withthe boiler and opening into said apartments, a series of stop-cocks, c,which permit the steam to be rapidly exhausted from the boiler throughone or more dischargepipes, means for increasing the supply of water inthe boiler While said Valves are open, and means for forcing air to thefurnace at the same time, whereby a high pressure of steam can bemaintained while stop-cocks c are open, all of said operating devicesbeing Within convenient reach of the attendant, substantially as setforth.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHENEY KILBURN.

\Vitnesses:

JAS. S. BREEN, THEsBERT MILLE

